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The Civil Matters Branch investigates competition cases
reviewable by the Competition Tribunal, that is, abuse of
dominant position; refusal to supply; exclusive dealing,
tied-selling and market restriction; consignment selling;
delivered pricing; and specialization agreement provisions of
the Competition
Act. As well, it is responsible for the Commissioner's
appearances and interventions before regulatory boards and
tribunals.
Communications Branch
The Communications Branch ensures that the Bureau achieves
its overall objective of transparency and that all Canadians
recognize the pivotal role the Bureau plays in fostering a
fair and competitive marketplace.
Competition Policy Branch
The Competition Policy Branch encompasses the International
Affairs, Economic Policy and Enforcement, and Legislative
Affairs divisions. The Branch advances the Bureau's interests
in international cooperation, negotiations and policy
development. It provides economic advice and expertise, as
well as enforcement support, to the Bureau and it ensures that
the provisions of the Competition
Act and labelling legislation remain relevant through
a continuous amendment process.
The Compliance and Operations Branch is responsible for the
development of the Bureau's compliance program, the
enforcement policy, communications and public education. It is
also responsible for the planning, administration and
informatics activities of the Bureau.
The Criminal Matters Branch investigates possible criminal
offences relating to anti-competitive behaviour. These include
conspiracy to fix prices, price discrimination and predatory
pricing, price maintenance and bid-rigging.
The Fair Business Practices Branch promotes fair
competition in the marketplace by discouraging deceptive
business practices and by encouraging provision of sufficient
information to enable informed consumer choice. The Branch
applies the provisions of the Competition Act that deal
with false or misleading advertising and other deceptive
practices, as well as three laws promoting fair representation
in the marketing of consumer products:
- the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act,
- the Textile Labelling Act, and
- the Precious Metals Marking Act.
The Branch also administers voluntary guidelines concerning
the use of environmental claims, the care labelling of
textiles, and the marketing of diamonds, coloured gemstones
and pearls.
The Mergers Branch is responsible for the review of merger
transactions, including those that require prenotification
filing.
The Merger Notification Unit is responsible for the
administration of Part IX of the Act (Notifiable Transactions)
and related matters. |